A New World
by DragonFlower2000
Summary: When Edward Elric fell unconscious from the ceiling in Sirius Black's kitchen in late summer, no one was sure exactly what to expect. Ed quickly adapted and became something to talk about amongst Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley siblings. About a week after Ed's unexpected arrival, Dumbledore offers him a spot as a fifth year student at Hogwarts, and things begin to get interesting
1. Chapter 1- The Newcomer

This is my first ever fanfic, so let me know what you all think of it! I'm not sure how active I'll be with this account outside of this story, but oh well lol. I'll try to upload a new chapter every week or so. No promises, though :P. Oh, and shoutout to my good friend Shannon for helping me edit ^_^. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter One- The Newcomer

 **No one knew from where the strange Edward Elric had come. He had randomly appeared, out of thin air it seemed, in the middle of Sirius Black's kitchen, falling from the ceiling with a crash landing on top of Harry Potter's head.**

~oOo~

"Ow..." The green-eyed boy with round glasses, messy black hair and a lightning scar on his forehead muttered. "Hey- get off!"

Harry struggled under the other boy's ridiculous weight. He briefly wondered if the other teen was unconscious before he finally managed to shove the him off. Seconds later, with Harry sitting a few feet away from the arrival, staring wide eyed and open mouthed, Molly Weasley, Sirius, and Remus Lupin came rushing in from the dining room, having heard the crash. They were closely followed by red-headed siblings Ginny, Ron, and the twins- Fred and George Weasley, along with the bushy haired Hermione Granger.

The unexpected arrival wasn't what one would call tall, but he wasn't exactly short, either. He was thin, and had long blonde hair that was tied back in what once might have been considered a neat braid, but now had hair sticking out at all angles, and was wearing black leather pants, black combat boots, white gloves, a black over shirt and a long red cloak with a black design on the back that resembled a cross with a snake coiled around it and wings on either side.

Harry quickly scooted away from the boy, who couldn't possibly be older than 14 or 15, and stood up near the Weasleys, Sirius, and Lupin. The group stood at the bottom of the staircase leading in to the kitchen, which happened to be where the child had dropped on top of Harry while he was trying to wash the dishes, and simply watched. Mrs. Weasley, with her mothering nature and need to care for all things, sick or injured things especially, was being restrained by both Sirius and Lupin, trying to keep her away from a potential threat.

"But he's only a boy! A mere child!" She cried, clearly frustrated that she couldn't go and help the teen. "No older than Ron, Harry and Hermione are!"

Mrs. Weasley soon broke free of the two mens' grasps- after a considerable amount of struggling- and hurried over to where the unconscious boy lay flat on his stomach in the Blacks' kitchen.

Sitting with her legs crossed right above the boy's head, Mrs. Weasley rolled the boy over onto his back and gently placed his upper body in her lap, his head and neck leaned up against her plump mid-section, and felt his forehead for a fever. Finding nothing, she moved on to checking him over briefly for serious injuries. Once again coming up with nothing, she went into a more thorough check, looking for any cuts or scrapes, no matter how big or small, old or new.

As Mrs. Weasley began to pull the child's right glove off to check his arm for injuries, his whole body tensed and he ripped his hand away. "Alphonse...?" He asked after a couple of seconds, lips barely moving as he once again went slack, his right arm draped over his mid-section, left hand laying limply by his side.

Still wanting to check for wounds, now suspecting there was, in fact, something on the child's right arm, Mrs. Weasley once again made a move to remove the glove. However, before she had so much as touched the right gloved hand, the boy jumped up with a short yell of surprise and leaped away to the farthest corner of the kitchen, a good distance away from everyone, and set his body up into a right-handed defense stance, eyeing everyone suspiciously.

"Who are you? Where am I?" The boy growled threateningly, clearly clueless as to how he arrived at Sirius's home. To add to the oddities of this child, he was clutching the fabric of his clothing in the middle of his chest with his left hand, as if something there was hurting him. Molly hadn't felt a wound there, but it wasn't as if she'd taken his shirt off to check- the boy was still fully clothed. However, a severe wound was easy enough to feel through most fabric, as long as it wasn't ridiculously thick, which his wasn't. Plus, there wasn't any blood anywhere on him to prove there was, in fact, a wound.

It was then that Harry, along with everyone else, noticed the boy's eyes. They were golden; a similar color to his hair and tanned skin. Not a blinding yellow like the sun, but a gentle, yet stunning golden color, that shown with all sorts of emotion, the most evident ones at the moment being determination, fear, and... Was it... Pain?

"Wh- who... ARE you...?" Harry sputtered before anyone could answer the newcomer's questions.

The blonde haired, golden eyed boy looked each person up and down, as if studying them and trying to determine whether or not they were friend or foe. Ron, Ginny and all three adults began slowly moving their hands towards where their wands were located in their pockets just in case the kid attacked, but before anyone could speak and tell him they weren't going to hurt him unless he hurt them, he spoke.

"I believe I asked my questions first," the golden-haired boy snarled as he clapped his hands together. He hesitated for a moment, looking as if he was lost in thought as his eyes glazed over some, but then his gaze became sharp once more and he looked down and touched both hands to the tiled floor in front of him. Blue bolts of lightining crackled all around as the boy stood up, pulling a wicked looking spear out of the ground and leaving a small indent in the floor from where the spear had come. Before anyone could blink, the deadly weapon was pointed directly at Harry, as the blonde threatened darkly: "I suggest you answer them quickly."


	2. The Newcomer: A Different Perspective

Oh my gosh I'm so sorry it's so late holy crap. I know, another shortie, but I'm posting it with chapter 3 so hopefully that helps lol. I hope this one helps fill in some questions you guys had in your reviews (thank you so much for favoriting/following/reviewing this story! It means a lot!). To the couple of you who critiqued my work- thank you so much! Pointers are always welcome. However, I'm not going to go back and edit the chapter unless there's a problem with the plot or the characters. Or a spelling/grammar error lol. My reasoning for this is so that I can file the tips away for later writing pieces, and I can then look back at what it was like at the beginning and study my growth. Also, shout out to my friends Emily and Shannon for helping me piece the story together and edit. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter Two- The Newcomer: A Different Perspective

Edward remembered seeing a dark haired boy's fear filled face as he crashed down on top of him before all went dark.

He didn't know how much time had passed. He was half conscious, aware of many unfamiliar people crowded some distance away, along with one person nearby.

 _Probably the boy I landed on,_ Ed guessed. The feeling of the person nearby faded, and he heard someone, probably a woman by the sound of their voice, cry out in frustration, and then shortly after felt gentle hands flipping him onto his back and pulling him into their lap. His head, neck, and upper torso were leaned against something warm and plush, and Ed, too tired to care, and curious as to whether or not he had wounds, allowed the mysterious woman to check his limp body for anything serious.

The gentle hands began to search more in depth now, and Ed assumed they were checking for smaller injuries. _Or patting me down to take away anything that could be seen as a threat_ , he thought. Soon, the woman reached his right hand in her search, and began to remove the glove. Ed felt himself tense up as he ripped his hand out of the person's grasp, not exactly sure as to why. _Huh... That was weird. I didn't think I'd be able to move... What's so important about my right arm, anyways...?_

A tiny voice in the back of his head whispered a name- one that sounded very familiar, but couldn't be placed.

"Alphonse...?" Ed asked aloud, and the name clicked. Just as the person holding him moved again, presumably to attempt to yet again remove his glove, he leaped away, yelling in surprise as all of his memories came rushing back to him at once. He clutched his chest where he'd been stabbed through by Envy. _My heart is still beating... It's still there. I probably only have a scar. So, why am I so scared that my heart will just stop beating? Al gave his life for me. His life for mine. That's equivalent, right? But then, I gave my life right back for Al's... So why am I still alive? Damn! Don't tell me it didn't work!_

"Who are you? Where am I?" Ed growled, not caring that the people didn't seem like much of a threat. He wanted answers, and he would get them.

The black haired kid that Edward had landed on looked shocked, they all did, as they saw Ed fully for the first time. _Makes sense,_ he thought. _I was just unconscious a minute ago._

"Wh-who are YOU?" the kid asked accusingly. He sounded scared, and slightly surprised. _I dont have time for this back and forth demanding of answers, damn it!_ Ed raged silently.

He studied the group carefully. There were nine of them in all- three adults and six teenagers. Of the adults, there were two men- one shaggy and sickly looking with light brown and gray flecked hair and a similarly colored mustache with green eyes, and the other with shoulder length black hair, ragged looking clothing, black facial hair, and striking gray eyes. There was also a grown woman. _She has to be the one who checked me over for wounds_ , Ed decided, seeing as she was rather round. The woman had fiery red hair and light brown eyes, with a stern but gentle and caring complextion.

Of the teenagers, there were four boys and two girls, the majority of the group gingers like the woman. The oldest looking in the group were two red-headed boys, who could only be twins. They had a mischievous glint in their brown eyes, and Ed made a mental note to steer clear of them. Then there was a younger red-headed boy, with blue eyes. He was scowling at Ed, disapproval and worry painted clearly on his face. There was one last red-head, a young girl, with brown eyes and a facial complexion much like the grown woman. There were also two non red-heads- a boy, the one Edward had fallen on top of, with black hair, striking green eyes, round glasses, and, Ed just noticed, a scar in the shape of lightning bolt on his forehead. The boy looked fearful and surprised, but not dangerous. Finally, there was a girl with bushy brown hair and eyes of a matching color. She looked kind, but strong and determined.

After debating with himself for a while, Edward decided the group wasn't a threat. None of them were visibly armed, although several of them were reaching into their pockets for something, presumably a weapon. _None of them look well trained,_ Ed reasoned. _I could probably take them, should worse come to worst._

Mind made up, Edward spoke again.

"I believe I asked my questions, first," he snarled, out of patience. Clapping his hands, he went to transmute his right arm into the blade he so often used, but he stopped half way. _No... That would show them all my automail..._

Looking down, he decided to pull up his favorite spear, instead. Thinking up the chemical mixture of the dark tiles, and picturing the spear in his mind, Edward crouched down to touch the ground in front of him. The familiar blue alchemic lightining crackled around him as the spear formed and was pulled up from the ground. Ed immediately pointed it at the kid with the glasses and dark messy hair.

"I suggest you answer them quickly."


	3. Chapter 3- Obliviate

As promised, chapter 3 with chapter 2. It's quite a bit longer lol. The first two were reallly just to get the story rolling, so expect longish chapters from now on. They'll be various lengths, and there will still probably be shorties, but most of them should be decent lengths. Another shout out to Shannon and Emily for basically helping me write this chapter haha. Enjoy!

Chapter Three- Obliviate

Several hands flew into pockets and removed- sticks...?

 _What the hell? What do they think I am, a dog?_ Edward wondered sarcastically, then chuckled to himself at the irony of his own question. _Well, technically I am a dog- a dog_ _of the military- but I don't chase sticks!_ He looked at the few who had removed these "sticks" and smirked, knowing now how little of a challenge they would be, should worse come to worst.

Edward, still clutching his spear and pointing it at the dark haired kid, was about to speak when the two grown men within the group waved their sticks at him, shouting something along the lines of "stupid". Two bright streaks of red erupted from the tips and were coming straight for Ed's chest.  
Ed's eyes grew wide as he ducked, trying to process what had happened. He mentally added how the sticks work to the ever growing list of questions he would ask once he was done dodging the lights.

The two men kept firing, and Ed kept dodging. _Damn! Those stupid sticks are proving to be more of a challenge than I thought!_ Dropping his spear, Edward began rolling, ducking, jumping, and doing anything else possible to evade the little red missiles, and quickly began to grow tired. His once quick and precise movements were becoming more and more sluggish and sloppy.

 _I can't keep this up forever_ , Ed thought, panic quickly rising. Now there were five of the nine people shooting at him, and Edward knew he couldn't continue dodging the projectiles. Making a split-second decision, he crouched down and rolled to avoid getting hit by the flying streaks of light, grabbing his spear as he stood up. Quickly scanning the group for the dark haired kid, Ed threw his spear. He did not aim to kill the kid, or even hurt him, but his aim was a little off, and the tip of the spear cut into the teen's shoulder. He let out a loud yelp of surprise, quickly followed by a sharp hiss of pain.

Everyone let their guards down to turn to the injured teen, and Ed saw his chance to escape. _Only problem is, they're blocking the exit_. _I guess I'll have to run past them._

Edward ran over to where the kid with glasses was clutching his bleeding shoulder, the red haired woman standing over the boy, asking if he was okay. Ed bent and grabbed his spear as he passed them, and without breaking stride, began to run up the stairs, taking them by twos and threes. As he frantically searched for the way out, he heard someone tumble up and yell behind him.

"Oh, no you don't! You don't get to hurt someone and leave without any explaination! Stupefy!" The red haired woman bellowed, angrily waving her stick at Edward. Another bolt of red flew at him, and this one met it's mark, hitting him directly in the chest. Ed fell over, his spear clattering to the floor seconds before he, too, hit the ground, as a cold black enveloped him.

~oOo~

When Edward awoke, the ragged man with the shoulder length black hair had his stick pointed directly at Ed's chest. Ed's mind was groggy, but he remembered bolts of red light flying all over while he desperately tried to dodge them. He remembered throwing his spear at the boy with dark hair, and then he remembered getting hit with one of the red lights by the round woman.

As Ed looked around, he realized he was sitting in a dimly lit room containing a large wooden table in the center and several chairs, and a fireplace in one of the walls. The dark wall paper was old and peeling off the walls _.This is still the room I landed in. Guess I never had the chance to look around much,_ Ed thought, recognizing several objects around the room.

Edward tried to stand up and push the stick pointed at his chest away, but he quickly found he was firmly secured to the chair he was sitting on- arms tied to the handles, legs to the chair legs, even his waist was tied to the back of the chair by thick ropes. _How did I not notice that before...? Damn, my brain must_ seriously _be fuzzy to not even think to be aware of my surroundings. Mustang would give me the worst scolding if he found out I'd been beaten by a group of people with_ sticks _._

"Who are you?" The older man with the black hair questioned, none too nicely.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Ed retorted, eyeing the stick pointed at his chest carefully. "What are those sticks you use, anyways? How do they work?"

The man faltered for a moment before regaining his stern composure. "I don't believe yours is the question at hand here. I'll ask again- Who are you?"

"A question for a question. Equivalent Exchange. You tell me who you all are, and I'll tell you who I am," Edward reasoned nonchalantly.

The man sighed after a moment. "Very well. I see there is no other civil way to convince you. I'm Sirius Black. Over there is Remus Lupin, and the woman is Molly Weasley. Of the red headed kids, there are the twins, Fred and George Weasley, then there's Ron and Ginny. The boy you threw your spear at is my godson, Harry Potter, and the brown haired young lady is Hermione Granger. Now for the last time, who are you?"

"I'm Edward," Ed answered, glad to finally be able to put names to faces.

"And your surname?" Sirius asked, his stick still pointed at Ed's chest.

"Elric."

"Thank you. Now we have a couple more questions for you, if you don't mind," Sirius said.

"I do mind. I believe I get to ask a question now, before you ask another one. Can't forget about the equivalence," Ed stated, flashing a mischevious smile and matching wink. "Now tell me about the stick you're pointing at me. How does it work? And what is the light it sends out?"

Sirius looked taken-aback again. "You mean, you were serious? You don't know what these are?"

"Well, duh. Otherwise I wouldn't have asked. Now if someone would please answer and stop staring at me with their mouths open." Edward was quickly losing his patience with the group. _Do they always dance around answers and stare at people like this?_ He thought irritably.

"So you're a muggle? But then how did you even get in here?" The black haired kid- Harry- blurted out.

"I don't know what a 'muggle' is, and I don't know how I got here. I'm as confused as you are. Now if you would _please_ answer my question."

"They're called wands," Remus butted in.

"Wands? Like, fairytales and wizards and magic wands?" Ed asked, his face sceptical.

"Yes, except it's not a fairytale. Wizards and witches and magic actually exist," Sirius said, taking his lead in the conversation back.

"Are you sure we should be telling him this stuff? He is a muggle, after all, and shouldn't know about all this," Molly interjected.

"After we've questioned him some, I plan on calling the Order in. Dumbledore can Obliviate all memory of this encounter if he sees fit, but for right now, we need answers, and this kid isn't giving them to us unless we give answers in return," Sirius turned away from Ed as he spoke to Molly and the rest of the group.

"'This kid' is still in the room right behind you. What's this 'Obliviate' I heard? What does it mean?" Edward growled darkly, feeling that it had something to do with the 'wands' and 'magic' and taking away his memories. He didn't like the feeling.

"I think it's my turn to ask a question now, isn't it?" Sirius turned back to Ed and pointed his wand at Ed's chest again, seeing as how he was getting angry. "Now, where did you come from? How did you get here?"

Edward thought for a moment, eyes glazing over, head drooping. _How_ did _I get here? Did Truth send me back to the other side of the Gate when I tried to save Al? But this looks and feels so different than before... There was a war... Big ships flying in the sky- zeppelins or something- and I was in a different body. This is definitely_ my _body. Where was it that I had ended up the first time...? Better question,_ where is Al _?_ Ed's head suddenly shot up, choosing to set aside worry for his younger brother, eyes bright once again, and stared directly at Sirius, who was looking rather confused and impatient.

"Is this London?" Edward asked.

"Yes, it is. Why?" Sirius questioned, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Ed.

"To answer your question of where I'm from, it's a long, long ways away. And you wouldn't believe me if I told you, anyways. All you need to know is I'm not from around here. As for how I got here, it's a long, rather complicated and personal story and I'm not willing to share it. I hope I've answered your questions on the subject, because I'm not going into any further detail," Edward stated firmly, his golden eyes burning, showing that he would not be budged on his statement. "So, now we're back to my question. What do you mean by 'Obliviate all memory of this encounter'?"

Sirius hesitated for a moment, wand unintentionally dropping from its target. He was clearly displeased by the half-answer, but spoke anyways. "Since you are a muggle, and we told you about our magic, we may be forced to remove that memory from you so you have no recollection of any of us. 'Obliviate' is the spell we use."

"Oh, Hell no. There is no way in _Hell_ you are messing with myhead. You are _not_ erasing or taking _any_ of my memories. You _will not_ go into my mind unless you want to make a rather dangerous enemy," Ed growled fiercely, looking each of the people in the room straight in the eyes. Worry for his younger brother flared up again, as did a new fear of losing all memory of him. Within seconds, Sirius' wand was pointed directly at Ed's chest again. Ed glared at Sirius, causing him to falter some, but the wand did not move.

"Too bad for you, because it's not your choice," Sirius retorted.

Edward, in an attempt to _not_ explode and lose his chance to get more answers, changed the subject. "Could you guys untie me from this chair? It's uncomfortable and my back is starting to ache."

Sirius and Remus laughed. "Untie you? You threw a _spear_ at Harry. A spear that you conjured _out of my floor!_ " Sirius exclaimed. "Does it look like we have a death wish?"

"Look, I only threw the spear as a distraction to get out," Ed sighed. "I didn't intend to hurt Harry, but my aim was a little off. Trust me when I say I wouldn't have killed anyone."

"How are we supposed to trust you?!" Molly cried. "You fell from the _ceiling_! You pulled a spear out of the ground, yet you say you don't believe in magic! You've been giving us vague answers and threats! What makes you think we should trust you?"

Edward shrugged nonchalantly. "Whether you trust me or not is up to you. But I mean it when I say I won't hurt anyone here. Not unless you threaten or hurt me."  
This seemed to calm the group down some, although they still didn't look like they trusted Ed, and Sirius' wand remained pointed at his chest.

"Are you a Death Eater, Edward?" Sirius asked darkly after some time.

"A what?"

"Allow me to rephrase my question- do you work for Voldemort?" Sirius' hard gaze, along with everyone else's, was resting on Ed, as if he was on trial or something.

" _Who?_ " Ed asked, choking back laughter at the name, despite the serious atmosphere. "I don't know what kind of parents would be cruel enough to name their kid 'Voldemort', and I don't know what kind of threat would have a name so funny, but to answer your question, no, I don't work for, or even remotely know of, this 'Voldemort'. Happy?"

"Almost," Sirius replied. "How did you make the spear out of the ground? You say you don't believe in magic, but what you did clearly wasn't regular muggle stuff. So what _did_ you do?"

Ed wrinkled his nose. "What's a 'muggle'?"

"Someone who can't perform magic," came Sirius' response. He opened his mouth again to speak, but was interrupted by Edward.

"It's called alchemy. Ever heard of it?"

Ed's questioners looked taken aback by his statement. "W-well yes, we've heard of alchemy, but we've never seen anything like what you did," Sirius said, stumbling over his words.

"Could you untie me now?" Ed asked impatiently, squirming in the chair and pulling on his bonds.  
Sirius looked Ed up and down a few times, his face slightly more relaxed than it had been. He stepped back and, although he didn't put his wand away, he was no longer pointing it at Edward.

"Hold out a little bit longer, Edward," Sirius replied, voice lacking in emotion, as he left the room, motioning for the other adults to follow. The door clicked shut behind them and muffled voices could be heard from the other room, although no words could be made out.

Sighing, Ed slouched down as much as he could without hurting his stomach, chin resting against his chest. After a few minutes, he heard shuffling and looked up hopefully, wondering if the adults had come back in. He was mildly surprised to find the teens just standing there awkwardly, watching him as if he were a wild animal about to strike.

Ed met each of the teens' eyes before breaking the silence. "You know, if I wanted to hurt you, I could have escaped these ropes a long time ago," he said cooly, his golden eyes locked onto Harry's green ones. Their postures relaxed some as they sat down on the floor, although they still eyed Ed warily.

"How did you perform your alchemy, Edward?" One of the girls asked. _Hermione,_ Edward reminded himself.

"I took a guess as to what the tiles were made of, pictured the spear, and then transferred the materials from the tiles into the shape and design of the spear. Equivalent Exchange," he stated simply. "Where is my spear, anyways? I can fix the floor with it once I'm untied."

"Like we'd tell you," one of the red heads snapped. "You tried to bloody kill my best friend!Also, if you could free yourself from the chair, why haven't you yet? Why are you waiting?"

Ed raised his eyebrows in mild amusement at how similar he was to the ginger. "Ron, right?" He asked cooly, looking directly at him. After receiving a small nod from the boy, Edward continued. "Well, Ron, as I said before to Sirius, I wasn't trying to kill Harry. The spear was _supposed_ to be a distraction; it wasn't meant to hit anyone. My aim was a little off because I was in a hurry, and so it grazed your friend's arm." Ed stopped and looked at Harry. "Speaking of, how is the cut?"

Harry looked surprised for a moment before answering. "It's fine. Mrs. Weasley patched it up so it doesn't hurt anymore or anything."

Edward opened his mouth but Ron butted in before he could say anything. "You didn't answer why you haven't escaped yet," Ron said crossly.

"Because what would that gain me?" Ed asked, resting his chin on his chest again and yawning, looking at Ron through the curtain of hair consisting of his bangs and several loose hairs from his braid hanging in front of his face.

"It can't be as simple as you 'wouldn't gain anything from it'!" This was one of the twins- Ed couldn't figure out which. "There must be another reason."

"It is that simple, though," Edward replied. "If I freed myself, I would only end up in more trouble. I can see you people are like me- you won't hurt me unless you have to. Therefore, I'm safe to sit here until you all decide to trust me." Ed closed his eyes as he finished, as if to prove how relaxed he was.

It was silent for several more minutes when the red headed girl- Ginny- who had been sitting quietly and observing, finally spoke up. "Who's Alphonse?"

Edward visibly stiffened, his eyes snapping open to reveal burning gold, but he remained slouching, and forced himself to relax. Lucky for him, before he could say anything, the door opened again and the adults came back into the kitchen. The teens quickly stood up as Ed slowly blinked and took a deep breath before sitting up and raising his head to look at the adults walking over to him.

"You won't cause anymore trouble?" Molly asked.

"No," Ed shook his head. "Not unless you give me a reason to."

Looking pleased, Molly waved her wand and the ropes loosened around Ed as he shook them off and stood up, stretching out.

"Hey Sirius!" Ed called suddenly, remembering about the spear and the floor. "I can fix your floor. I'm going to need my spear to do it, though."

Sirius paused, looked over to Remus, then back at Ed and left the room. He came back shortly after with the spear. "If you try anything, it won't end well for you," he growled softly as he handed Ed his weapon.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed said, slightly annoyed, as he walked over to where the hole was. He clapped his hands and transmuted the spear back into the tile, fixing the hole so it looked as if nothing had happened. "Alright! Done!" Edward exclaimed happily, dusting his gloved hands off. Everyone came over to inspect his work, seeming pleased at how flawless it looked. "So, what now?" Ed asked, leaning back against a wall, hands in pockets, passing his gaze around the room and meeting everyone's eyes.

"We're going to call the Order in to discuss what to do with you. For now, go clean yourself off. You're a mess," Mrs. Weasley said, almost motherly, but her voice still contained a trace of resentment towards Ed.

"Alright," Ed said, already walking towards the door. He stopped several feet away and turned around to look at Harry, Hermione and Ron, who were all standing shoulder to shoulder whispering. They stopped and looked at Ed, noticing him watching them. "Could you show me where the bathroom is?" He asked sheepishly.

"Wha- oh! Yeah! Of course!" Hermione said happily, jogging over to Ed and pulling him up the stairs by his coat sleeve, followed by a cross Ron and an amused Harry.

As the group turned a corner to another flight of stairs, Ed noticed several strange creatures' heads mounted up on the wall. "Disgusting," he muttered under his breath. Hermione heard him and nodded, looking at the heads with a mixture of disgust and pity.

"They're house elves," Hermione explained, stopping the walk. "They work for no pay until they're either freed by their masters or they die," she said angrily.

"Isn't that slavery?" Ed asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes," Hermione said venomously.

"Except the elves like working for their masters," Harry piped up. "They lose their purpose and freak out if they get freed."

"Not all of them! Dobby loves being free!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yeah, but he's an outcast among the other elves!" Ron teased as the group began walking again.

Confused as to who 'Dobby' was and no longer interested in the conversation, Ed simply let his mind wander as they walked down the long hallway, tuning the other teens' bickering out. He was jerked back to reality by Hermione calling his name. "Here's the bathroom," she said. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Do you have any spare fabric laying around?" Ed asked after thinking for a moment.

"Fabric?" Harry asked, and Ed simply nodded. "Yeah, here, come look," Harry walked off, and Ed followed closely behind while Ron and Hermione stayed in front of the bathroom.

Ed followed Harry through a door into a cluttered room with a little bit of everything in it, and Ed took his pick of fabrics before nodding to Harry to show he was done and being led back to the bathroom. He walked in without saying anything else and closed the door, locking it.

After a quick shower, Ed wrapped his lower body in his towel and checked over his clothes. A little dirty, but not ripped or torn. _Perfect_ , he thought. Ed shook out his current clothes and decided to stash the fabric somewhere for later, choosing to put the cloth in the empty cabinet under the sink.  
Throwing his clothes on, Ed left his damp hair down so it could dry, and left the bathroom, making his way back downstairs and into the kitchen.

"There you are!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed when he walked in. "There are some sandwiches on the table. Eat quickly, Remus and Sirius are sending a message to the Order now, so they'll be here any minute."

Edward walked over to the table, finding a stack of three sandwiches, and gratefully began to eat. "What exactly is this 'Order' you've all been talking about?" He asked between mouthfuls, looking up at Mrs. Weasley.

"A group with intentions to defeat Voldemort," was all she said before hurriedly leaving the room.  
Edward finished eating and looked around the room. Hermione made a pointed effort to not look at him, and he noticed she was blushing slightly. Shrugging, he pulled his semi-damp hair back into his signature braid and stood up to take his plate to the sink. As he did so, there were several loud _cracks_ as the Order started apparating in. Ed jumped in surprise, dropping the plate and jumping back into a defensive posture as the plate hit the ground and shattered. He eyes the newcomers suspiciously, wondering how they had come out of thin air like they did. _Probably the damn_ 'magic' _these people use,_ he snarled to himself. Oh, how he hated to accept the existence of magic. _I'm a scientist, damn it! Magic shouldn't exist! It's not scientifically possible! You can't create something from nothing!_ He fumed, still watching the newcomers as they looked at him with a quizzical expression on their faces. One of them, a rather round man with a weird, large blue eye and a wooden leg, had his wand out and was pointing it directly at Ed.

 _Oh Hell, not again,_ Ed thought, almost panicking, but Mrs. Weasley came in, saw what was happening, and took action.

"Stop! Edward, look what you've done! You've broken my plate! And Moody, he's not a threat. He was simply startled. Now, both of you go sit down and wait for everyone else to arrive!" She scolded the two as they walked to the table and took their seats a careful distance away from each other. Mrs. Weasley then waved her wand and said something that sounded distinctly like "repair" and the plate put itself back together and floated into the sink.

Soon enough, everyone was gathered, and the meeting began. The teens, with the exception of Edward, had been sent to their rooms and were told not to eavesdrop unless they wanted their ears enternally clogged so they could only pick up vague muffling whenever someone spoke.

"So what seems to be the problem, Sirius?" An elderly man with half moon glasses, blue eyes and a long silver beard spoke.

"Him," Sirius answered simply, jerking his head towards Edward. "He says his name is Edward Elric. Won't tell us where he's from or how he got here. He fell through my kitchen ceiling, unconscious, then when he came-to, he freaked pulled a spear out of the ground and threw it at Harry. He claims to have used alchemy. Says he didn't mean to hurt Harry, and the spear was simply supposed to be a distraction for him to escape. Molly finally hit him with a stunning spell and we tied him down and questioned him some. He used the spear to fix my floor after. That's all the information we got.

We're fairly sure he's not a threat unless provoked, and he says he's muggle."

There was a silence as everyone seemed to be lost in thought.

"How old are you, Mr. Elric?" The old man spoke, his blue eyes seeming to look right through Ed.

"I'm 16," Ed answered, meeting the man's eyes. There were several surprised faces around the room, along with murmers of "but he looks so young" and "he can't be older than 14". Edward's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, but he said nothing.

"Could you show us what you did to create the spear?" The old man asked calmly.

"I don't see why not," Edward replied as he stood up. "What should I make? Any suggestions?" He asked, meeting everyone's eyes as if he was the star of a game show they were all watching and participating in.

"You mean, you can make anything you want?" A young woman with bright pink hair asked, clearly shocked.

"Well, yes and no," Ed answered, beginning to pace as he explained. "See, the most basic law of alchemy is equivalent exchange. This means in order to gain, something of equal value must be lost. For example, when I created the spear, I used Sirius' floor. I took the elements making up the floor, deconstructed them, and shaped and rearranged them into the spear. Nothing was lost or created, simply redirected. I can make anything I want, but only if I have the proper materials to make it."

There were several nods as the old man once again spoke.  
"Could you recreate the spear you made earlier?"

Nodding, Edward clapped his hands, bent down and touched the floor, and pulled the spear back out as the blue alchemic lightning once again swirled and crackled around him. Once he was finished, he gave the spear a twirl for effect, and then thumped the spear's butt on the ground.  
The room was once again filled with faces of shock.

"You said you're muggle. How can you perform this without magic? It looks an awful lot like magic, and I've never seen a muggle that could do what you did," the man with the weird blue eye and wooden leg Ed almost fought with earlier spoke. The name 'Moody' came to mind.

"It is not the 'magic' you study," Ed replied, almost spitting the sentence out. "Alchemy is a science. There's a way it works, it can be explained and proven. Your 'magic' is as unscientific as it gets. There is no equivalence- you create something out of nothing. It shouldn't exist."

Moody opened his mouth again, presumably to argue further, but was cut off when the old man raised his hand to silence him. Edward stood in the middle of the kitchen, spear still in hand, as he was studied by everyone in the room.

"Can you put the spear back, Mr. Elric?"

With another nod, Ed clapped his hands again and reversed the process of pulling the spear out until the floor looked untouched. The old man stood and came to inspect the flooring, then returned to his seat. Edward was once again being studied by every eye in the room.

There was a long silence, which was finally broken by the old man.

"Mr. Elric, even though you do not believe in magic, I would like to offer you a spot at my school. You see, I am Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of a wizarding school- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You may not think so, but you do possess a magical ability- through your alchemy. You control and direct energy to where you want it to go, yes? Those are the fundamentals of magic. Should you choose to accept my offer, school starts September 1st. I'll be sending you an acceptance letter and list of materials in the near future. You will be put with the 5th years, so you will be expected to know all the material for years 1 through 4. I'm sure Hermione would help you get caught up if you asked her politely. Before you shoot down the offer, please consider. There is much you could learn, and there is a rather large library open to anyone at the school. Think about it." Dumbledore winked and disappeared with a wave of his wand and a loud _crack_ , leaving everyone in the room stunned into silence. Senses were quickly regained, and there was a lot of shouting, several people disagreeing with Dumbledore's decision, Moody being the most prominent.

"What was he thinking?! This boy needs to be Obliviated and sent home!" Moody roared.

"Sent home where? He doesn't even know how he got here!" Remus.

"Or he does and he won't tell us!" Moody again.

The shouting around the room escalated until Ed almost exploded. Sirius beat him to it, standing up with such ferocity it knocked his chair over.

"Enough!" Sirius roared, catching everyone's attention. The room went silent as all eyes turned to him. "Dumbledore made his decision, so we have to stick to it, whether you all like it or not. Edward will be staying here and sharing a room with Harry and Ron, and then going to Hogwarts on September 1st. This meeting is over."

Without giving Ed time to interject or complain, Sirius grabbed his left arm and dragged him out of the kitchen and up the stairs as angry murmers and _cracks_ were heard as the Order left the Black estate.

As soon as Sirius and Edward made it up the second flight of stairs, Ed ripped his arm away from Sirius and started to yell at the older man.

"What makes you think you have the right to decide for me, you bastard!? I'm not a little kid anymore, damn it! I can make my own decisions! As for right now, I am _not_ going to some stupid school for magic, which shouldn't even exist! And I didn't get a say in whether I would be staying here, or not! I can take care of myself!" Edward fumed, giving Sirius the angriest, hardest glare he could muster.

"Oh? So you would rather the argument have continued? Or had Moody go into your head and Obliviate your memories? And I would love to see you pay for a room at the hotel you don't know where to find with the money you obviously don't have! You don't have to go to Hogwarts but until further notice, you are staying here and bunking with Harry and Ron, understood?"

Ed grumbled, unable to argue with the logic of what the man said, still glaring at Sirius as the man knocked on the door to the bedroom Harry and Ron shared. He quickly explained to them Ed's situation and told them he would be sharing their room. He conjured up a mat and some blankets for Ed to sleep on as a make-shift bed and left, saying goodnight as he closed the door behind him.  
Edward gratefully crawled into the makeshift bed, tired from the events of the day. _Alphonse almost died at the hands of the homunculi. I came in and tried to save him, but Envy beat me and I_ _died. Al brought me back, something that should be impossible. He was dead, having sacrificed his own life to bring me back. I then sacrificed myself for him. I ended up here and I still have no idea where Al ended up, or if he's even alive._ The idea of Al being dead was quickly thrown out. _No, I'm here for a reason. I just need to figure out what the reason is._

The other two boys in the room continued shuffling around to get comfortable when Ron asked, "Who _is_ Alphonse? You tensed up when Ginny asked you."

Ed sat up. He didn't leave the mat, but he looked in Ron's general direction. "It's none of your business. He's someone I knew before I ended up here."

Edward waited until he heard Ron and Harry begin lightly snoring beforeflaying back down himself as the room quieted, and he was finally able to drift off into sleep.


	4. Update

Hey everyone! Unfortunately this is not an actual chapter, but an update on the progress of the story in general. I know I haven't updated in a really long time so I'm really sorry about that lol. School just started back up around the time I uploaded chapters 2 and 3, and I've been really pressed for time lately around homework (which is a lot compared to last year, but that's to be expected, since it's high school and not middle school) and marching band, which is super time consuming (and fun ^_^). I'm afraid future chapters will have to be further postponed due to a personal issue that recently came up. The story will continue, though. There's just going to be a temporary break in the chapters. I'm not sure for how long. It'll depend on a number of things lol. Anyways thanks for understanding, and thank you so much for all the support! It means a lot! 3


	5. Chapter Four: Memories

Hey guys! So sorry for the extended wait. Thank you all so much for staying patient. Everything is alright now so no worries. I'm hoping to get a new chapter up every two weeks, preferably less than that. Please forgive the writing, as I hadn't written anything outside of random thoughts and some assorted crappy poetry in a good bit of time before writing this. Shout out to LynnDoubleLegacy (Deviant Art- .com) for all her help editing, and to everyone else that offered ideas and gave me feedback. Love you guys.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter. Thanks again to all of you ^_^

Chapter Four: Memories

 _Edward opened his eyes to find himself in a dimly lit room with black walls, flooring, and ceiling. He couldn't tell where the dim light was coming from, for there were no windows or lamps. As Ed rose, all he could see was a giant lump of... something... laying motionless on the ground, some ways in front of him. Breath hitching in his throat, fearing the worst, Ed approached the large, unmoving lump. As he neared it, he realized he had been right to be scared. The lifeless armor body of his younger brother lay on the ground at his feet, torn apart, the blood seal shattered._

 _Edward fell to his knees, reaching out to touch the familiar metal when it suddenly changed, shifting and morphing into something else. It was now Alphonse as he would be if he were fifteen in his original body. Al's short blonde hair and innocent brown eyes wandered the room, finally resting on Edward. Ed hesitated, uncertainty settling in as he looked at the serene face of his brother. Al stared back at him with unmistakable glee in his eyes, happy to have his brother and his body back. Deciding this wasn't a trick, Ed lunged forward to embrace his little brother, who reached out to hug Ed in return. However, as the two bodies collided, Al screamed in pain, and Ed immediately let go, horrified by Al's cry._

 _As soon as Edward released him, Alphonse fell back onto the ground with a soft thud. Blood started to pool around him, seeping out from a fresh hole in his stomach. "H-how could you...?" Al asked, voice cracking with physical and emotional pain. His eyes shone with betrayal as the younger brother took in one last rattling breath, coughing up blood as he exhaled. The room fell completely still and silent. Edward sat by his younger brother's body, arms hanging limply at his sides, unwilling to move. Feeling a thick liquid running down his left arm, Ed looked down at his shaking hands, only to find them covered in what he immediately knew was Al's blood. Ed's face contorted in shock and pain as he screamed. Edward screamed louder than he had ever screamed before, filled with pain, hate, sorrow, and grief. He screamed as tears streamed down his face, until his throat was raw and his tear ducts dry and he could scream no more._

~oOo~

The sun's rays had barely begun to kiss the dark horizon when Edward woke up, screaming and thrashing, entangled in his blankets. Quickly realizing Al was not lying dead and bloody in front of him, Ed slowly began to calm himself down, taking deep, rattling breaths, curled into a ball on his mat. _It was all a dream. None of it was real. Alphonse is alive. I didn't kill him. He's okay. I'm okay,_ Ed told himself, over and over, repeating it like a mantra in his head. He viciously rubbed his still-gloved palms together, desperate to rid them of the lingering feeling of imaginary blood.

Eventually, Edward's breathing slowed as he calmed down enough to stop shaking and look around. He soon realized he was receiving worried and scared looks from the two teenagers sharing the room with him, along with several people standing in the doorway. It took a moment for Ed to regain his senses, but he finally released his knees, which he had previously been hugging to his chest. He lifted his tired body into a sitting position, and raised his eyes to the concerned faces around him. _Who are these people?_ Ed searched his mind for names as memories of the day before began trickling back into his mind. _Harry and Ron are the two in the room. The people in the doorway are Hermione, Ginny, Molly, and Sirius,_ he recognized. _Remus left with the other group last night. The Order or whatever they were called._

Edward drew in a shaky breath and finally spoke, his voice raspy but firm. "Stop looking at me like I'm a wounded animal. I'm fine. It was just a dream."

"Some dream," Sirius scoffed, disbelief painted across his face. "What the hell could have done that to you?"

"None of your damn business!" Ed shouted hoarsely, beginning to shake again as the nightmare flashed through his mind, dancing across his gold eyes. "Now get out!"

The group in the doorway obstinately continued to stand there, watching him, but Edward met their gaze with a stubborn fury to outdo them all. Slowly and begrudgingly, they left, Mrs. Weasley reluctantly tailing behind with a last glance at Ed. The only people remaining in the room were Harry and Ron, both of whom refused to make eye contact with Ed. Several minutes of silence passed before Ron opened his mouth. Even then, he was immediately silenced by Harry, who had placed his hand on Ron's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Ed insisted, resting his covered automail arm on his right knee, gaze locked on the blankets wrapped around his legs. His loose hair hung down like a curtain around his face, hiding his emotions as he spoke, molten eyes ablaze. "The dream was nothing. Don't worry about it, and keep your mouths shut about anything you may have heard. Understand?" Ed looked up at Ron and Harry, a dangerous glint in his eyes, daring them to say 'no'.

The two teens hesitated before slowly nodding and climbing out of bed to start the day. Edward remained sitting on his mat, recapping the previous day's events once again, carefully avoiding the nightmare. Close to ten minutes later, Ed finally braided his hair and followed everyone downstairs to the kitchen. He received several glances from everyone, some displaying concern, most showing leftover resentment from the day before.

 _They'll get over yesterday_ , Ed decided as he took an unoccupied seat at the table. All the other teens were there, although they avoided Ed's gaze as he allowed his mind to wander. The adults were busying themselves cooking breakfast, although it was mostly Molly working. Sirius seemed like he just wanted to distance himself from the tension around the table.

"So," Edward started, voice shot. He cleared his throat and waited for the teens to meet his eyes before continuing. "The crazy old man you all go to school under invited me to join, in case you weren't aware." Ed's lips twitched in amusement as Hermione instantly looked guilty of something. He knew they had all been eavesdropping somehow. There was a moment of awkward silence before Ron spoke up.

"Well?" He snapped. "Are you joining or not?" All eyes turned to Ed as he debated with himself.

"I don't know," he contemplated after another long pause. "I have no idea how this 'magic' of yours is able to function, and I honestly don't care to learn. It's not natural and I can't say I'm fond of it." Ed leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head as he continued. "Although apparently there's a huge library I'll have access to. That's pretty much the only thing keeping me from a complete 'no'. What kinds of books are there on alchemy in that library?"

Hermione instantly lit up and began describing the library and everything about it in depth. Ed mostly tuned her out until she began talking about the alchemy section. "There aren't many books on alchemy that I've seen. There are probably several in the restricted area, though. I'm sure you could get Dumbledore to grant you permission to check out books from there."

Edward nodded, sitting up straight again as the adults entered the room, plates full of food floating along behind them. "I really think you should accept the invitation," Molly advised as she used her wand to evenly divvy up the food. "I don't know why you're so set on seeing the library, but that isn't the only thing Hogwarts has to offer you."

"Mrs. Weasley, there is nothing more that school has to offer me. I'm going home as soon as I can. I won't need your 'magic' once I'm there, and I won't need it to get there," Ed declared as he bit into the fluffy pancakes, drenched in syrup. He purposely ignored the glass of milk set in front of him.

"Five knuts says you will need our magic," Ginny muttered sarcastically, eyes on her plate as she began to pour syrup over her own pancakes. Ed ignored her and shoveled in the rest of his breakfast, finishing before the rest of the group, who ate in a much more mannerly fashion.

~oOo~

Several uneventful days passed, in which Mrs. Weasley kept everyone busy with chores. The only breaks in the teens' labors were the evenings, in which Ed would sit alone and think, running his fingers over a strange silver pocket watch. Whenever the other members of the household asked what the watch was, Ed would refuse to give them a straight answer. Hermione, Ron, and Harry spent a decent amount of their spare time worrying over Sirius, who had been distancing himself from everyone recently. The three teens also made a habit of discussing the Black's house elf, Kreacher. Each time the ancient elf appeared, everyone's mood plummeted almost as much as it did when the painting of Mrs. Black began screaming about "muggle filth in the proud Black estate". Finally, over dinner one night, Edward agreed to attend Hogwarts.

"Are you serious?" Fred was grinning ear to ear as Ed nodded in confirmation.

"Maybe you can help us with our... ah... 'homework' while you're there!" George laughed, but was instantly silenced by a furious glare from Molly.

"What made you change your mind?" Hermione asked, changing the topic.

"I figured Ginny might be right," Ed started. "What your wands do doesn't seem to require anything in return, which means I may be able to bypass the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Meaning I might actually need magic to get home," Edward sighed as he saw Ginny smirk at him.

"I've never understood that," Harry admitted. "How exactly does alchemy work?"

"It's just like I explained when I first got here. As long as I know what elements a structure or object is made of, I can manipulate them and turn them into something else. For example, I used Sirius's floor to make my spear. It's the exact same material and elements, just constructed into something new."

Harry slowly nodded, attempting to process what Ed had said. The rest of the teens wore looks of fascination, as if they wanted to further question Ed. However, before they could ask anything, Mrs. Weasley took hold of the conversation.

"There are only a couple of weeks left of vacation," she fretted, putting her fork down next to her plate and glancing at Sirius as she spoke. "Can you fit four years worth of material in that little time?"

"It shouldn't be too hard," Ed grinned. Everyone had begun to feel more comfortable around him as the days wore on. Ron still acted cross with Ed at times for reasons unknown, but no one else seemed to hold any grudges. "I spent a lot of time studying and learning new things when I was little. It doesn't take me long anymore." He paused and turned his head to where Hermione was eating. "Dumbledore said you might be willing to help me?"

"Of course," Hermione replied enthusiastically, eyes alight. She was beaming, excitement clearly written across her features. Next to her, Ron groaned and made a face, at which Harry had to stifle a laugh.

"Can we get started after dinner?" Ed asked, resuming his dinner of roast chicken and squash.

"Sure! I'm not really hungry, so I'll go ahead up and find the books you'll need to read. Meet me in the library when you're done." Hermione rose and took her dishes to the sink before making her way upstairs, a little grin on her face. As soon as she was gone, the twins immediately began making kissing sounds and gestures, provoking glares from the remaining members of the household.

Ed hurriedly finished his chicken and left to meet Hermione, who was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the library, bent over an open amd battered book. She looked up as Ed entered the room, flashing him a smile and beckoning him over. Taking a seat next to her, Ed got directly to the point, asking, "What are we starting with?"

"Well I thought we might start with Hogwarts: A History. The blockheads downstairs never thought to read it but since you're totally new to all this I thought it might be a good start." Hermione paused, face scrunching up as she thought. "On second thought," she began again, "since we're on a time crunch, you should probably read it on your own time. Maybe we should start with care of magical creatures," she amended, handing Ed the history book.

Edward chuckled at her embarrassment over the little mistake. Laughter had been coming more easily to him since he buried all thoughts of home. "Sounds all right to me."

~oOo~

"Who does Ed think he is? He's clearly taking advantage of Hermione's crush on him," Ron fumed as he and Harry climbed the stairs on the way to their bedroom.

"Come on, Ron! You can't seriously think Hermione likes Ed, can you? I mean, he's barely been here two full weeks! And he doesn't strike me as the type of person to take advantage of someone else, anyway," Harry countered.

"I think it's pretty bloody obvious she likes him! Did you see the way she reacted when he asked her to tutor him? She could barely contain herself," Ron spat, face contorting in rage.

Harry risked a bemused smile, which was rewarded with a punch in the arm.

"Once she figures him out, her interest in Ed will fade," Harry assured his friend as they walked past the library's closed door, hearing laughter from within. Ron clenched his fists at the sound, but said nothing more as the two entered their room and readied themselves for bed.

~oOo~

"What is that?" Ed pointed to a picture of a strange horse-like creature with wings and a bird-like face, leaning into Hermione slightly as he did so.

"It's a hippogriff," she explained, turning to look at Ed. "It's kind of like a horse crossed with a griffin. They're an extremely proud species. You can't ride one unless it let's you, and there's this whole process you have to go through to see if it does like you."

Ed simply nodded in response, shifting to take his weight off of Hermione. She continued to explain the process, but Ed was only half listening. He was studying her face, watching the way her eyes lit up as she discussed her favorite topics. He noticed the way she would get excited whenever he questioned something. Ed was suddenly struck by how similar she was to Winry, and the barricade he had been building against his homesickness collapsed.

Ed began trembling, putting his head in his hands and rubbing his eyes with the base of his hands. Hermione's words trailed off as she noticed Ed. "Are you okay?" She marked the page they were on and set the book aside, watching Ed with a look of concern. He lifted his head to meet her gaze.

"I'm fine," he said, a little too harshly, standing and starting towards the door, fists clenched. Before he left, he stopped and turned to look at Hermione, longing and sadness shining in his eyes. "I'm just tired," he assured her, softening his voice. "We can keep going tomorrow." Hermione began to interject and call him out on his lie, but Ed exited the room before she could get anything out. Once he was out of the library, he made a beeline for the bathroom, knowing Hermione would try to follow him and demand answers if he didn't go somewhere private. After a brisk shower, Ed dressed, leaving off his jacket, coat, and gloves. Taking a seat on the side of the bath tub, Edward stared at his right hand, clenching and unclenching his metal fist.

 _Winry... Alphonse... I'm coming home. I promise. I just need time._

Several more minutes of sitting in the silence of the bathroom passed before Ed put on the rest of his clothing and silently entered the room he shared with Ron and Harry. Careful not to wake the other two, he crossed to his own mat and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

~oOo~

The next morning at breakfast, Edward made a pointed effort to dodge Hermione, fearful of her questioning him on his behavior from the previous night. She seemed to realize that Ed wanted to be left alone, and did not try to speak with him. Everyone else picked up on the fact as well, and left Ed to himself.

Once he was done eating, Ed returned to his room to read the history book Hermione gave him. Closing the door behind him, Ed took a seat on his mat and opened the cover. However, before he had even read the opening pages, Ron entered the room, clearly aggrivated by something. Ed flicked his eyes up to see who had entered, but did not give the other boy a second glance as his gaze drifted back to the book.

"Look here, Ed," Ron ordered. Ed stiffened at Ron's tone, but humored the red-head and set the book aside. "You leave Hermione alone. I know you know she likes you, and you're just taking advantage of that fact."

Ed simply laughed. "You think she likes me?" He began as he climbed to his feet. "I think you're just jealous."

"And I think you're an oblivious fool!" Ron was shouting now, Ed's nonchalant reaction fueling his anger. "How could you not realize she likes you?"

"Because I'm not staying here forever, and attaching myself to any of you will just end in pain. Because I can't feel the same way about her." Ed stopped, meeting Ron's furious glare with a steady gaze. His hands were curled into fists, but the rest of him was highly composed. "Because I have someone waiting for me at home."

Ron forgot his fury for a moment, eyes wide at having heard anything personal from Edward. Ed pressed this advantage and grabbed his book, pushing past Ron to leave the bedroom. He entered the library, moving into the back in hopes of finding peace.

Although Ed had brought the book with him, he had no intention of reading. His mind was ensnared in thoughts of home, making it difficult to get any reading done. Instead, he simply sat in silent bliss, longing for the world and the life he had left, knowing he would trade anything to go back to the Hell from which he had come.


	6. Chapter 5: The Talking Cat

**I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO SORRY! Yes it's been like 12 years since I updated. No I do not have a valid excuse (other than Lynn taking ages to edit... *cough*...). But it's fine because here you have chapter 5 and I already have 6 and 7 written up and in the editing process so it's all good. Anyways I hope y'all enjoy this extra long chapter, just for you.**

"Have you ever heard of Daisy Hookum? She's an amazing author: you should read one of her books sometime. She wrote this one called My Life as a Muggle. where she gave up magic for a year and lived like a muggle. It's such a good book; you guys should really read-"

 _"_ Hermione, do you ever _not_ ramble on and on about pointless things?" Ron interrupted as she paged excitedly through a biography, presumably on Daisy Hookum.

"At least I care enough to gain a little more knowledge here and there, unlike _you,_ " Hermione scoffed, closing the book and returning it to the shelf. Fred and George butted into the conversation, poking fun at their younger brother while Harry and Ginny laughed at everyone.

Ed glanced at the other teens and allowed himself a small smile. As soon as he had finished catching up on the first four years (he obtained permission from the Ministry to use magic for educational purposes), Mrs. Weasley brought everyone to Diagon Alley to gather his school supplies. Dumbledore offered to pay all of the expenses, since no one at Grimmauld Place could afford the materials, and Ed had no money.

Edward quickly learned that Diagon Alley was a grand and confusing place full of shops, small cafés, and a ridiculous amount of other magical buildings. When the group entered the magical shopping center, he could only stare in awe. The idea of using a sketchy green powder and a fireplace portal had slightly worried him, but after laying eyes on the place, he decided it was worth it. The red-cloaked teen took the time to soak in everything that he possibly could as Mrs. Weasley ushered everyone around the Alley. Their first two stops had been Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, followed by the grand book store Flourish and Blotts, where the rest of the teens now argued and laughed. Ed chose not to involve himself in their banter, instead focusing on finding the correct books. The others had already bought what they needed, as it was now the last couple of days before summer vacation ended.

"Are you ready, dear?" Molly waited by the check out, the Headmaster's money in hand.

"Yeah, I think that's everything from here," Ed replied, checking over his list once more as he handed Mrs. Weasley his books. Molly paid for the materials and enchanted them to float behind her so no one had to carry anything.  
"Where are we going next?" He asked the others, intrigued and ready to see more of the strange place.

"You need to be fitted for a uniform at Madam Malkin's before we do anything else," Molly said as she began walking, the teens in tow. Ed knew he'd never wear a uniform, but he wasn't about to argue with Mrs. Weasley, so he agreed.

The process went smoother than Ed originally thought. The woman in charge asked him to remove his cloak, but allowed him to keep on his gloves and jacket. He tried not to sigh in relief; he had worked too hard to keep his automail hidden to let it be discovered in the middle of a tailoring store. The lady quickly sized Edward for his uniform, exited the room, and came back minutes later with his new uniform. He took the clothing and thanked the woman as Molly deposited the money before turning to leave.

After being led out of the tailoring shop by Mrs. Weasley, the teens stopped at several more stores. Ed bought cauldrons, quills, a telescope, potion kits, ink, journals, parchment, and even a crystal ball at shops such as Potage's Cauldron Shop, Slug and Jigger's Apothecary, and Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment. Finally, they came to Ollivander's wand shop.

As they opened the door, a little bell rang above them. The dim, musty place would almost have looked abandoned if not for the lack of dust and cobwebs. As Ed was about to ask Mrs. Weasley if the shopkeeper was present, an elderly man appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Welcome, welcome! What can I do for you? New wands? Perhaps you've misplaced your own? Or is it possible that we have a new member of our wizarding family, joining the party a tad late?" The man rested his hazy silver gaze on Edward for a moment, sending a chill down the teen's spine. However, before Ed could make anything of it, the wand-maker turned to Mrs. Weasley.

"Hello, Ollivander. I hope you're doing well," Mrs. Weasley greeted the shop owner cheerily. "Edward's magical abilities were discovered a bit late. He's joining Hogwarts as a fifth year with Hermione, Ron, and Harry."

"Ah, yes. Vine and dragon heartstring, willow and unicorn hair, and the interesting holly and Phoenix feather. I never forget the wands I sell." The man, who Ed now knew as Ollivander, smiled and touched the side of his nose. "Well, Edward, let us see what we can find you."

Ollivander disappeared into the back of the shop for a moment, coming out with a single box. "Hold out your wand hand, my boy," he instructed. Ed held his left hand in front of his body, curious as to what would happen. "Good, good. Now take this wand and see how it feels. It's crafted from spruce wood with a unicorn tail hair core."

"How will I know which wand is the right one?" Ed wondered aloud, eyeing the wand in Ollivander's hand.

"You'll know," was the only response Ed received. Shrugging, he grabbed the wand and waved it around, unsure of what it would do. His question was answered when a bolt of magic flew from the tip and knocked over a formerly neat stack of boxed wands. Ed's eyes widened and he started to apologize, but was silenced by a wave from Ollivander as he left to find other options.

Ed tried walnut and dragon heartstring, yew and unicorn hair, fir and unicorn hair, and a variety of other wands, all of which reacted in a similar manner as the first wand. As Ed's patience began to wane, Ollivander returned once more with a final box in hand.

"Try this one. Cedar wood with a dragon heartstring core," he said, offering Ed the wand. Sighing, Edward took the wand from Ollivander and waved it, preparing himself for the next miniature disaster. Instead, bright red fireworks burst from the tip in a harmless fashion, earning applause from the waiting group. "Exceptional! Quite a powerful combination, you know. One would be wise not to cross you," Ollivander informed the boy.

Mrs. Weasley payed for the wand and the group exited the shop. She stopped everyone on the side of the street and swiftly counted what money remained. "Ed, you have enough to buy a pet, if you'd like," she offered. "We can stop by one of the pet shops before returning home."

"You should get an owl! Then you can send letters while you're at Hogwarts, and there are plenty of other owls so it wouldn't get lonely. It could be friends with Hedwig," Hermione babbled excitedly.

"What about cats?" Ed asked after thinking for a moment. He knew about Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, but he was unsure of where she had gotten him.

"There are places to buy cats," Mrs. Weasley confirmed. "You're sure that's what you want?" Ed nodded, knowing that he had no one to send letters to, anyway. A cat would remind him of Al, and of home.

Molly led everyone to a quaint little pet store which contained most every kind of cat and owl within its four walls. "Take your pick, Edward," she told him as he wandered the shop.

After several minutes of looking in cages and sticking his fingers between wire bars, Ed came upon a little gray kitten, sleeping in her cage. He stood by her, watching the ball of fluff for a moment before she woke up and stretched. The young cat looked around lazily before noticing Edward. She gazed up at him with big yellow eyes, and something in Ed clicked. "I found one," he called over his shoulder to Mrs. Weasley. She hurried over, excited to see which one Ed had decided upon.

"She's lovely, dear. Go pick out a carrier for her and meet me at the front of the shop to pay," she beamed.

Grabbing the gray kitten, Ed began to make his way over to the carriers when a strange looking cat caught his eye. It had a murky brown pelt with purple eyes and unusual, indistinguishable black markings. Ed leaned in closer to examine the animal, causing the kitten he had picked out to panic. "What kind of cat _are_ you?" He whispered to himself, barely audible. The strange cat only smiled and winked.

"Nice to see you again, Elric," it hissed. Ed staggered backwards, pivoting on his heel and dashing to grab a carrier. Not caring which one he picked, he rushed to meet Mrs. Weasley.

"What's the fuss, Ed? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Molly frowned, moving to place her hand on Ed's forehead. "You aren't getting sick, are you?"

"No, I'm fine. But we should really get out of here," Ed hurried, voice taut.

"What is it?" Mrs. Weasley scanned the shop for anything that could have set the teen off. "Let's get you home. I think you need a good rest," she concluded when she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Soon enough, everyone was out of the shop and had teleported back home.

Later that evening, Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached Ed. The alchemist was sitting cross-legged on his sleeping mat, playing with his new kitten. "What are you going to name her?" Hermione asked.

"Nina," Ed replied, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"A bit of an odd name for a cat, don't you think?" Hermione questioned.

"It's no stranger than calling your cat 'Crookshanks'," Ed chuckled. "Besides, she just seems like a Nina to me." Edward was unwilling to reveal the true meaning behind his new kitten's name. _It's_ _not anything that concerns them,_ he decided, his thoughts drifting back to a certain little girl and her dog.

Ron laughed, tearing Ed from his thoughts. "I told you Crookshanks was a weird name!"

"Well, _I_ like it," Hermione declared stubbornly. She turned away from Ron to sit on the floor, several feet away from Ed. Harry and Ron took seats on their beds, Harry closing the door as he entered.

Ron, ever the one for tact, began the interrogation Ed had known would be awaiting him. "What was it that made you freak back in the pet store?"

"Nothing of your concern," Ed stated firmly, before whispering "hopefully" to himself.

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? 'Hopefully'? You'd better tell us something, mate, especially if it's dangerous," the redhead snapped.

Ed thought for a moment, his gaze never leaving Nina. "You have to understand that I'm not from London," he began hesitantly.

"We've figured that much out," Ron replied, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"I've seen and done some unbelievable things back home, things you probably wouldn't believe. One of the things that I've seen is a monster. One that will kill without thought, that will find a way to make the murder as painful as possible, be it physical or emotional pain," Ed began, exasperated.

"So what else is new?" Ron laughed humorlessly. "We've been fighting You-Know-Who since we were eleven, and you expect us to be scared of your 'monster'?"

"This isn't like your Voldemort. This guy is significantly more powerful, more dangerous. He could destroy Voldemort, because in the end, Voldemort is human, and lives by his own moral code. Voldemort, from what I've gathered, believes that anyone not of pure magical descent and those that sympathize with them deserve to die, right? The monster doesn't have a moral code. He will kill anyone he pleases, and relish every minute of the misery he creates. He will kill you simply because you're human." Ron and Hermione visibly cringed at the amount of times Ed said Voldemort's name.

"You saw it, didn't you? It followed you here," Hermione whispered, her expression twisting into one of shock and fear.

"I'm inclined to believe so. I don't know how or why it followed me here, but it did. It doesn't have a quarrel with any of you yet, but it wants me dead, and it will kill all of you to achieve that goal. I'm putting you all in danger by being here," Ed insisted.

"Not to be rude, Ed, but I didn't see anything that looked like a bloodthirsty killer in the pet store," Ron interjected.

"It can change shape. This time, it was disguised as a cat."

"How could you have known that the cat was this beast you're talking about?" Harry questioned, finally able to get a word in edgewise.

"When you've spent years of your life looking out for those types of things, you learn to notice them subconsciously. On top of that, the cat spoke in the monster's voice. It definitely wasn't a kitten waiting to be adopted."

"Ed, we've seen and done a lot of dangerous things here, too. We know how to protect ourselves; you don't have to worry about us. But you could let us lend you a hand every once and a while. We aren't completely helpless," Hermione huffed before rising and exiting the room. Harry and Ron tailed behind her, leaving Ed to his thoughts and fears.

~oOo~

The next day passed uneventfully. Nina was adjusting well to all the new people, and had taken to napping in the hood of Ed's cloak. She was quickly growing more and more comfortable around him, sleeping on his stomach and allowing him to hold her without complaint.

On the final day of summer break, a number of important things happened. That morning, Dumbledore made a brief visit with the Sorting Hat to place Ed before the year started.

"Edward," the elderly wizard began, entering the kitchen where everyone had gathered. "Before I sort you here, I want to give you the option of being sorted at the school, after the first years. I could give you an introduction and-"

Ed waved his hand, cutting the Headmaster off. "I'll just get it over with here," he said as he rose from his chair at the table and walked over to Dumbledore and the Hat.

"Very well." Dumbledore proceeded to place the Hat on Edward's head.

"Well, well, well! What an interesting place, your mind is," the Sorting Hat exclaimed. "Ah, ambitious, aren't you? Very driven! Let's look a little closer!"  
Ed squirmed underneath the Hat, unease settling over him as the Hat rooted through his memories. "My, my! Risking all that for your brother? How selfless," the Hat piped after awhile.  
Ed went rigid, curling his hands into tight fists, visibly overcome by quiet rage.

"Get the hell out of my head," Ed growled, clenching his jaw. "Now."

"Sit still! I can't get a clear reading if you don't stop fidgeting," the Sorting Hat complained. Ed grew silent, but his anger remained intact. Several minutes of silence passed as the Sorting Hat reviewed more of Ed's thoughts and memories. "Unless I happen to be mistaken, all of your ambitions and goals were set for the sake of others, never for yourself," the Hat debated. "There's no better place for you than GRYFFINDOR," it called happily. Dumbledore removed the Hat, offering Ed a small smile and a pat on the back. Edward received many more happy slaps on the back from the boys and hugs from the girls, including the beaming Mrs. Weasley.

Dumbledore didn't stay long after the Sorting Hat assigned Ed. He congratulated the teen and promptly left, hinting that something would be delivered later in the day.

The teens were all upstairs in their rooms when the delivery arrived. Hermione, who had already packed for the next morning, had joined Harry, Ron, and Ed in their room to offer her assistance and theorize about who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would be. As they were discussing, an owl flew in through the window, carrying two letters: one addressed to Ron and the other to Hermione.

The friends carefully tore open the envelopes and read the notes. Harry peering over their shoulders as Ed watched their faces for any reaction.

Hermione squealed and began bouncing up and down ecstatically, while Ron just gaped at the paper. "Ron, I can't believe it! We're Prefects!"

"Y-yeah," Ron stammered in response, unable to believe what he was reading. Just then, Fred and George Apparated into the room, causing Ed to take a surprised step backwards.

"Did I hear you screaming about becoming Prefects, Hermione?" Fred crossed the room to where Ron and Hermione stood, clutching their letters.  
"Yes! Ron and I made Prefect!" Hermione could barely contain herself.

The twins' expressions changed to match Ron's previous slack-jawed look of shock. Fred snatched the letter from his younger brother, reading it over and searching for any signs of forgery.

"I thought for sure Harry would have gotten that title!" George gasped.

The twins debated before agreeing that Harry got into too much trouble throughout the year to have made him Prefect.

"What's a Prefect?" Ed inquired.

"It basically means you have extra responsibilities and authority around your assigned House. There are two fifth years picked from each House that become Prefects and carry that title throughout the rest of their time at Hogwarts. They can hand out and take away House points and punish any student breaking the rules," Harry explained. Ed nodded, slightly confused as to what House points were. He then turned to Ron and Hermione.

"I've never been one for rules or anything like that, but good job making Prefect, I suppose," Ed grinned.

As Fred and George made fun of Ron for his accomplishment, Mrs. Weasley walked into the room. "Ronald, what color pajamas would you like? You've outgrown your old ones by about six inches. I was going to run out and buy you some new ones before you finished packing."

"Get him red and gold to match his new badge," George smirked.

Mrs. Weasley was absently rolling a pair of maroon socks, George's words taking no effect.

"His what?" She asked airily. Ed repressed a grin at her absentmindedness.

"His shiny new Prefect's badge," Fred said pointedly.

Mrs. Weasley froze and turned to Ron, stammering. "Y-you made...?"

Ron held up his badge and smiled shyly, and Mrs. Weasley squealed and embraced her son. "Oh, I'm so proud of you," she sniffed. "Well, what do you want? I bought your brothers something when they made Prefect, so what would you like?"

Ron thought for a moment. "Can... can I have a new broom?" He asked hopefully. "Nothing fancy," he quickly added, noting how her face fell. "Just something... new."

"Of course you can, Ronnie! I should go now to buy your new pajamas and your new broom! Oh, I can't believe it! My Ronnie, a Prefect!" Mrs. Weasley hugged Ron once more and gave him several kisses all over his face before bustling out of the room, muttering about how she'd have to inform the others.

The twins teased Ron some more before Disapparating, leaving an angry Hermione. She comforted Ron before he left to tell his mother what kind of broom he'd prefer.

The room was silent. Ed shifted uncomfortably, trying to think of a way to dissipate some of the tension. Before he could come up with anything, Harry spoke up, his voice forced, congratulating Hermione on her Prefect badge. She then asked if she could borrow Hedwig to tell her parents about everything. Harry agreed, his words falling like stones from his mouth, and made himself look occupied until Hermione left. Once she was gone, he let out a sigh and flopped down onto his bed.

"You look disappointed," Ed commented from his chair. "Were you hoping to make Prefect?"

"I don't know, I guess. I hadn't actually thought about Prefect badges this year until they came in. I really wasn't expecting Ron to get the title," Harry explained half-heartedly.

"Why not?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted.

"Do you think yourself somehow better than him?"

"No, of course not! I'm better than him at Quidditch, but not anything else."

"Don't be jealous of him, Harry. That's how you ruin friendships. Let him have this little victory, and be greatful that you don't have to deal with all those extra responsibilities," Ed advised.

"Yeah, I suppose," Harry agreed after a moment. "Thanks, Ed."

"Ron's coming back up. Pull yourself together and give him an actual congratulation," Ed stated as he continued packing.

Harry did as Ed suggested and grinned, congratulating his friend as he came in the door.

"I never thought it would be me," Ron said, shaking his head. "I thought for sure it would be you!"

Harry laughed, this time naturally. "Nah, I've caused too much trouble, like Fred and George said."

Ron agreed, and the three boys finished packing their trunks for the following morning. When they had finished, Molly returned with Ron's pajamas and a long object wrapped in brown paper.

"Never mind unwrapping it now," she told him. "People are arriving for dinner and I want you all downstairs."

Ron ignored her, ripping the paper off and examining every inch of the new broom, an ecstatic look on his face. He then gently placed it on his bed and followed everyone downstairs.

The first thing the teens noticed once they arrived in the kitchen was the giant scarlet banner Mrs. Weasley had hung, reading, "Congratulations Ron and Hermione- New Prefects". "I thought we'd have a little party instead of a sit-down dinner," she explained, noticing them staring. "Ron, your father and Bill are on the way. I've sent them both owls and they're thrilled," she added, beaming. Fred and George pretended to gag in the background as the rest of the teens grinned and laughed.

Ed decided to distance himself from the gathering crowd of Order members, remembering his first night at Grimmauld Place. Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, and Kingsley were already present, and Moody arrived shortly after.

Mrs. Weasley greeted the Auror, telling him about the writing desk in the drawing room that Ed and the other teens had been told to avoid. There was some kind of beast in it, and Molly had not wanted to mess with it in case it was something nasty.

Ed wandered away from Molly and Moody's conversation, but later joined everyone in the kitchen to toast to Ron and Hermione, quickly grabbing a butterbeer. He found the sugary liquid extremely different from anything he had tried back home, but he enjoyed the flavor nonetheless. After everyone drank to the two teens and applauded them, conversation broke out once more. Ed weaved his way in and out of some of the discussions, always making a pointed effort to avoid Moody.

The alchemist's floating conversations were not entirely useless, as he was able to glean more information about the world he had fallen into and about everyone around him. He noticed Harry, Fred, George, and a man named Mundungus in the far corner of the room, making some kind of deal. Hermione had taken to discussing house elf rights with Lupin, while Ron told anyone who would listen about his new broom. The rest of the adults were scattered throughout the kitchen, conversing about politics and more evident issues, such as Voldemort's reappearance.

Edward soon tired of the festivities and excused himself to bed. Instead of sleeping, however, he simply sat on his mat with Nina, who was curled up and purring in his lap. As Ed began to relax, the gray kitten perked up, attention directed at the door. The teen grew silent, holding his breath as he listened for whatever his cat might have heard.

 _Is someone... crying?_ He wondered as he gently shooed an indignant Nina off of his lap and rose to his feet. Ed followed the sounds to the drawing room, where he saw Mrs. Weasley sobbing over Ron's dead body. _What...?_ Ed's mind raced as he thought of various explanations for what he was seeing. His theorizing was disturbed as Mrs. Weasley cried, "R-r-riddikulus!"

Ron's corpse turned to Bill's, causing Mrs. Weasley to sob harder. _A boggart,_ Ed realized, remembering reading about the creature with Hermione. Without thinking, Ed ran to Mrs. Weasley's side, planning to convince her that it wasn't real. In his rush to find the source of the sound, he had forgotten his wand in his bedroom and could not dispel the monster.

This plan backfired, however, when the boggart shifted to Ed's own fears. The Gate stood before him, and Ed froze, slowly turning from Molly to face Truth.

Truth smiled. "Welcome back, Edward Elric! It's been awhile."

"Cut the crap, Truth. Is my brother alive?" Ed clenched his fists. He knew that the Gate before him was fake, no matter how real it all felt, but he had to ask. He had to have some kind of verification. If this Truth answered 'no', Ed would know that Al was alive.

"You already know the answer to that, don't you, Alchemist?" The white figure laughed, refusing to play along.

"You little bastard. I want a straight answer, damn it! Is my brother dead or not?" Edward ground his teeth together in a vain attempt to keep his temper.

"Would you like to find out for yourself?" Truth asked, grinning wider as the Gate slowly began to open.

Ed snapped, charging Truth without caring whether he was fake or real. However, as soon as Ed did this, the scene changed once more. He immediately stopped his attack, frozen in place by the sight in front of him.

A mountain of bloody corpses stood where the Gate had moments before. Ed noticed Al, Winry, Granny Pinako, his mother, Mustang and Riza, Nina and Alexander, Hughes and his family, and even Scar and Hohenheim. The longer he stared, the more people he noticed, including his new friends from Sirius's house. Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, the twins, Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, and Sirius himself.

Edward could not tear his horrified gaze from the atrocity before him. "N-no... that... that's not right... it's not true... they aren't dead... they can't be! It's all fake," he told himself weakly, collapsing onto his knees. While he could convince himself that everyone from London was alive, he couldn't fight the sinking feeling in his gut that everyone in Amestris had perished.

"Riddikulus," a gruff voice called from the doorway. The gruesome scene vanished from view, though it remained painted on the insides of Ed's eyelids. He did not budge as Moody approached him. The alchemist only fixed his eyes on the ground, containing no energy or motivation to do anything. "Care to explain what the hell that was?" Moody growled. "I saw it all, so don't even think about trying to hide anything. And don't get smart with me, either."

Ed summoned enough energy to lift his head and look around him. Moody stood over him, looking down disgustedly. Lupin tended to Mrs. Weasley, who was only now calming down from her own living nightmares. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in the doorway, frightened and concerned faces peering at the red-cloaked teen from around Moody. Sirius stood behind the teens, watching Ed with a look of pity.

"It was nothing. Just a boggart," Ed replied as he met Moody's glare with an empty gaze, voice tired and emotionless. "It's gone now, so it doesn't matter."

Moody looked as if he were about to say something, but Hermione spoke first. "Ed, please. Remember what I said about us being here for you. We can help," she pleaded, begging him to consent. Ed grew silent for a moment before shakily getting to his feet.

"I told you, it was nothing. Just a memory, followed by a lie." Ed met Hermione's worried gaze with a look of exhaustion. "I'm going to bed," he stated, and wearily shoved past Moody and the teens. Moody reached out to stop him, but Lupin told him to leave it, allowing the teen to make his way to his bedroom. "It's not worth it. The kid isn't going to tell us anything unless he thinks it's necessary. No one likes it, but Dumbledore trusts him, and we have to go by what the old man says."

Moody exited the room, grumbling about how 'Dumbledore trusts new people too easily' and 'Edward will be the death of the Order'. Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder comfortingly before following Moody back down the stairs to clean up the party. Lupin and Mrs. Weasley left last, ordering the teens to bed and ushering them out of the drawing room.

Once all the adults were safely downstairs and far out of earshot, Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck into the library, quietly shutting the door behind them. "Did you see the whole thing?" Ron whispered, referring to Ed's boggart. His question was directed at Harry, who nodded.

"I didn't see him enter the drawing room, but I heard him yelling at someone. I was at the bottom of the stairs when it started," Harry began, keeping his voice low. "I came up here, trying to be as quiet as possible, and found Ed and Mrs. Weasley. Ed looked like he was in an argument with this... _thing_. It looked like a faceless and hairless human that had been completely covered in flour. The only thing it had was a mouth. I think Ed called it 'Truth'. Behind it, there were these giant doors, with all sorts of odd symbols and words engraved into them."

"Do you know what language was on the door?" Hermione asked, her expression pensive.

"No idea," Harry replied, shrugging. "I might be able to recognize it if I saw it somewhere, though.

"Anyways, Ed was yelling at the white figure, asking about his brother. I didn't catch a name," Harry added quickly, predicting Hermione's next question. "The figure challenged Ed, asking if he wanted to find out for himself. Ed got angry and charged him. I guess the boggart realized he wasn't scared anymore, so everything changed to what you guys saw when you arrived."

The three grew silent, studying the floor, lost in thought. "Do you guys remember when Ed first got here, how he mentioned someone named Al?" Hermione asked softly, her words starting slow but gaining speed as she continued. "And that night, he had a nightmare about who I assume is the same person, based on what you two told me. And earlier, the Sorting Hat mentioned something about Ed having risked or sacrificed something for his brother. I wonder..." Hermione paused, wetting her lips. "Could Al be his brother?"

"Bloody hell, Hermione, I think you've figured it out!" Ron grinned, looking frighteningly similar to Fred and George. "Maybe now we'll have the upper hand, having some information he doesn't know we have."

"Except Ed probably already knew we were going to hole up somewhere and discuss what we saw," Hermione scoffed. "He's smarter than either of you give him credit for."

"Yeah, well, whatever," Ron grumbled, unhappy that Hermione was standing up for Edward rather than taking his own side.

"We can continue this later," Harry interrupted, tenderly rubbing his forehead. "My scar is starting to bother me all of a sudden, and it's getting late."

"Are you okay?" Concern edged Hermione's voice as she studied Harry's face.

"Yeah, I'll be alright. Come on, Ron, let's go."

With that, the teens crept out of the library, whispered their good nights, and snuck into their rooms. Ron and Harry made a conscious effort not to disturb their sleeping friend as they climbed into their beds. Harry's scar began to burn, but he kept quiet about it, not wanting to worry Ron or wake Ed. He soon fell asleep, the pain melting away into the black silence.


End file.
